Concealed-hinge construction for doors, &amp;c.



W. H. COLLIER.

CONCEALED HINGE CONSTRUCTION FOR DOORS, &c.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 29. I916.

WILLIAM H. GOLLIEB OF NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE.

CONCEALED-HINGE CONSTRUCTION FOR DOORS, 65o.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. a, rare Application filed May 29, 1916. Serial No. 100,462.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that LlVlLLIAM H. COLLIER, a citizen of the United States of America, and a resident of Nashville, in the county of Davidson and State of Tennessee, have invented a certain new and useful Concealed-Hinge Construction for Doors, &c., of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in the hinging of doors, particularly the doors of carriages, automobiles, etc., andcomprises a construction, wherein the hinges are completely concealed, and do not require mortising into either the door or door-frame, and whereby the door swings in such a manner that, when fully opened, the door passage is not blocked by the edge of the door; and also the construction of the hinge is such that no retaining straps to prevent the door swinging too widely are required. My invention consists in the novel construction of the hinge and in the novel combination thereof with the door and door-frame.

The objects of my invention are to improve the hinging of doors, particularly automobile and carriage doors, to completely conceal the hinge, to avoid occasion formortising the fixed leaf of the hinge into the door-frame, to avoid projection of the hinge into or from the car body, to avoid blocking of the doorway by the edge of the door, to avoid occasion'for the use of retaining straps, and generally to provide a hinge construction which is simple, inexpensive, capable of complete concealment in the closed position of the door, and easy to apply to existing constructions of car bodies.

I will now proceed to describe my invention with reference to the accompanying drawings, and will then point out the novel features in claims:

In said drawings:

Figure 1 shows a fragmentary horizontal section through a portion of an automobile body and door, with the door in closed posi tion, the hinge itself being shown in top view.

Fig. 2 is a similar View except that the door is shown wide open.

Fig. 3 is a perspective elevation of a portion of the door and side of the car, showing the curved hinge-leaves of two hinges constructed in accordance with my invention.

In the drawings, 1 designates the outside member of an automobile body, 2 the outside member of one of the automobile doors, 3 the door-post of the car body, 4 one of the upright members of the door-frame, 5 the upholstery of the automobile body, and 6 the upholstery of the door.

7 designates the fixed leaf of the hinge, secured, as will be seen, to the rear face of the door-post without mortising. 8 designates the movable leaf of the hinge, the same comprising a member 8 which, in the closed position of the door, projects rearwardly or away from the door-post 3, and is provided at its end with a curved portion 8*, curved preferably in substantially the arc of a cirole, the angle subtended by the curved portion being preferably about 90 and beyond this curved portion there is a straight portion 8 substantially parallel with the portion 8, and extending past and beyond the door-post and secured to the door-frame member 4:. The two hinge-leaves are, of course, pivotally connected. Preferably, but not necessarily, I provide a fixed shield 9 secured to the'door-post 3 outside of the straight portion 8 of the hinge, which shield guards the hinge cavity, preventing the upholstery of the body from contacting with the hinge.

The door-post 3 is preferably recessed as shown at 10, the door-post having at this point an approximately circular curvature of an angle of about As will be seen by comparison of Fig. 1 with Fig. 2, when the door is swung open, the movable hinge leaf 8, swings through the recess 10 in the door-post 3, the curved portion 8 of such leaf swinging around the curved portion of the door-post, without rubbing thereagainst, and the door, in swinging out, swings back sufliciently to leave the door-way substantially unobstructed by the edge of the door. When the door is wide open, contact of this curved portion 8 .of the hinge leaf 8 with the flange 1 of the car body, or contact of the curved portion of the hinge leaf with the curved portion of the door-post 3, pro vents further swinging ofthe door. the hinge leaf performing the function of the usual retaining strap to prevent the door from swinging outward too widely. As socalled touring, and also closed, bodies of most present vday automobiles, are constructed, the rear doors, if allowed to swing outward more than about 90 will strike made possible by the use of a swinging hinge leaf having the straight portion 8 and the curved portion 8 terminating in another straight portion 8; also by the forming of the door-post 3 (as by the cutting of the recess therein) to provide clearance for the swinging hinge leaf 8.

In certain of the following claims, that 7 side of the door post 3 to which the fixed hinge leaf 7 is shown secured, is referred to as the rear face of the door post; the opposite face of such door post is referred to as the front face thereof; while the side of the door post against which the member 8 of the hinge is shown lying, in Fig. i,

is referred to as the outside face. These terms are used without any reference to what may be the front and what may be the rear of the vehicle of which the door post forms a part.

What I claim is: 1. The combination with a door-frame and door-post, of a hinge comprising a fixed leaf secured to the door-post, and a movable leaf hinged to the 'fixed leaf and having a portion extending away from the doorframe in the closed position of the door and merging into a curved portion adapted to swing around'and close to the door-post as the door opens, such curved portion of the hinge leaf merging into a further portion extending past and close to the door post, and secured to the door-frame.

2. The combination with 'a door-frame and door-post, of a hinge comprising a fixed leaf secured to the door-post, and a movable leaf hinged to'the'fixed leaf and having a portion extending away from the doorframe in the closed position of the door and merging into a curved portion adapted to swing around and close to the door-post as the door opens, such curved portion ofthe hinge leaf merging nto a further portion extending past and closeto the door-post,

and secured to the door-frame, said doorpost having a recess providing clearance for the swing of such movable leaf.

' The combination with a door-frameand door-post, of a hinge comprising afixed leaf secured to the door-post and a movable leaf hinged to the fixed leaf and having a portion extending away from the door-frame'in the closed position of the door, and merging into a substantially circularly curved portion subtending'an angle of approximately ninety degrees, and adapted to swing around and close to the door-post as the door opens,

such curved portion of the hinge leaf mergdoor-frame.

4. The combination with a door-frame and door-post, of a hinge comprising a fixed leaf secured to the door-post and a movable leaf hinged to the fixed leafand having .a portion extending away from the door-frame'in the closed position of the door, and merging into a substantially circularly curved portion subtending an angle of approximately ninety degrees, and adapted to swing around and close to the door-post as the door opens, such curved portion of the hinge leaf'merging into a further straight portion extending past the door-post in a direction substantially parallel to the door and secured to the door-frame, the door-framebeing approximately circularly curved where said movable hinge leaf swings'about it, toprovide clearance for the swing of that leaf.

5. The combination with a door-frame and door-post, of a hinge comprising a fixed leaf secured to the door-post, and a movable leaf hinged to the fixed leaf and'having a portion extending away from the door-frame in the closed position of the door and merging into a curved portion adapted to swing around and close to the door-post as the door.

opens, such curved portion of the hinge leaf merging into a further portion extending past and close to the door-post, and secured to the door-frame, and a fixed shield inclosing the curved portion of such swinging hinge leaf.

6. The combination with an automobile body or the'like, having a door frame and a door post and an upholstery space, of a hinge comprising a fixed leaf secured to said door post, and a movable leaf hinged to the fixed leaf and having a portion extending rearward from the door frame and door post in the closed position of the door and merging into a curved portion adapted to swing around and close to the door-post as the door opens, such curved portionof the hinge leaf merging into a furtherstraight portion, the point of merger being near the meeting edge of the rear and outside faces of the door post in the closed position of the hinge, such further exteliding portion of the hinge leaf extending past and beyond the outside face of the door post in the closed position of the hinge, the said curved portion of the hinge located entirely within said upholstery space in the closed position of the hinge.

7. The combination with an automobile body or the'like, having a door frame'and door post and an upholstery space, of a hinge comprising a fixed leafsecured tos'aid door post, and a movable leaf hinged to the fixed leaf and having a portion which, in the closed position of the hinge, extends from the door post into the upholstery space and merges into a curved portion also then located in such upholstery space, such curved portion merging into a further portion secured to the door frame, the curved portion of the movable hinge leaf being adapted to 10 swing about the door post and being conflopies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

WILLIAM H. COLLIER.

Witnesses:

J. H. PERCY, S. T. COLLISTER.

Washington, D. G. 

